Finding Her Way (2/?)
Title: Finding Her Way
Author: xxcalliefanxx
Rating: R
Pairing: Callie/Arizona
Summary: Arizona calls Callie a newborn. Callie is determined to prove she wants to be with Arizona. She won't stop fighting until she gets what she wants.
Disclaimer: All television shows, movies, books, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work, and the characters, settings, and events thereof, are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for-profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context, and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual.
Chapter 2
“Where did Callie go?” Ashley looked around the room frantically. “I need her in here with me. She told me she wouldn't leave. Where is she?”
Arizona sighed for what seemed like the millionth time in the past ten minutes. Ashley would not stop screaming for Callie. “Ashley, Dr. Torres had to go deal with another patient. She will no longer be on this case. I'll be with you from now on, and Dr. Sloan.. he will be there too.”
“No. I want Callie. She promised me.”
“Doctors can't make promises, Ashley.”
“She did. She told me she'd not leave my side. She wouldn't lie to me. She promised. Promises you can't break.”
“People break them everyday. It's life.” Arizona snapped coldly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“You want to tell me what in the hell that was about?” Callie snarled as she barged into the Chief's office.
“Dr. Torres, do not come in here and raise your voice at me. I'll have you suspended.”
“Hell, you might as well. You can't take me off that case. I need to be on that case.”
Chief Webber raised his eyes to the woman in front of his desk. “Dr. Robbins stated she wanted you off the case. She is your boss. If she doesn't want you involved in her patients, then you won't be.”
“That's bullshit! Ashley needs me!” Callie pleaded. “Chief, please.. get me back on the case.”
“You're too attached already, Dr. Torres.”
Callie threw her hands up in frustration. “Is that such a crime? Someone needs to care for that girl. Have you seen her? Have you seen how badly abused she is, or do you not even care?”
“I'm warning you, Dr. Torres. Stop it.”
“No, Chief. You can't let her do this. I promised Ashley. She trusts me. She felt a connection with me. She wasn't scared.” Callie explained. Her voice was cracking slowly. “She wants me in there with her.”
The Chief ran his hands over his face. “Talk with Dr. Robbins. If she says it's okay, then you're back on the case.”
“And if she says no?”
“Then this conversation is over.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Hello?”
“Addison! Oh hell.. I miss you.” Callie exclaimed into the phone. “Please come here. I need you. Like now.”
“Are you gay for me now, Callie?”
Callie giggled. “Addie, you know I've always had a thing for you.”
“I know. I've wanted your body as well, and I totally ruined my chance with throwing up on you.”
“Obviously. That was like Ari-dissing me all over again.”
“Ari-dissing?”
“Yeah.. you know, Arizona.. dissed. Anyways, when is your flight?” Callie chewed on the inside of her mouth waiting to hear her friend's answer.
“Um... like seven tonight or something. Why?”
“Come kick peds surgeon's ass.”
Addison laughed on the other end of the telephone. “Why is this?”
“She kicked me off her case.”
“Ouch. She is a bitch to you. Come to California with me. We can get married. It's legal now.”
“Don't tempt me.”
“Dr. Torres?”
Callie turned around hearing the voice behind her. “Hold up, Addison,” she said softly in the phone. “What do you need?”
“The Chief told me you came to him about the case.”
“Is that peds bitch?” Callie smirked hearing her friend on the phone.
“And from now on if you have a problem with something I do, be a woman about it.” Arizona retorted.
“Addison, I have to call you back.” Callie flipped her cell phone shut. “Excuse me?”
“Dr. Torres, I'm not starting an argument with you.” Arizona attempted to explain. “You can't make promises to kids. Especially not kids like Ashley.”
“You can try to make the kid feel better.”
“You can do that without getting attached and making damn promises. You don't promise a kid.. that they will be alright..,” Arizona's voice began to raise. Callie's gaze noticed the interns looking at them now. “You don't tell a child you will save them. You don't do it, Dr. Torres. It's unprofessional. If you want to work on this case, then go by the book. Answer simple questions. Don't give her gifts. Don't get her attached to you. She can't have that.”
“Where do you come off telling me I can't make promises to kids?” Callie stepped closer to Arizona. “You can't tell me what I can and can't do.”
Arizona shut her eyes. As she opened them back up, Callie noticed the baby blues being covered by tears. “Because I know the consequences.”
“What? What are you talking about?”
“I'm...,” Arizona raised her eyes to meet Callie's. “I...I can't talk about this.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Callie busted through the third floor on call room. Mark was laying there attempting to nap before the surgery on Ashley. Callie lowered herself onto the edge of the bed. She smacked his leg a little harder than she meant to.
“Ow!” Mark yelled out. Callie rolled her eyes. “Why did you hit me? You could have damaged Big Sloan.”
“Oh.. please.”
“It's true,” he stated sitting up in the bed. “Are you here for a quickie?”
“You wish I was, honey. But no, I'm pissed. I need your help.”
“Sloan Method again?”
“You wish again.” Callie smirked proudly. “I now have a Torres Method, but no. Will you shut up and let me finish?” Mark nodded. “Okay. Thank you. But listen, I need you to get me in on the surgery with Ashley.”
“Callie, I can't...”
“You can. You know damn well I am the best one to be in there fixing her broken bones. Get me in the surgery. You need an intern with you right? Well, screw having an intern. Take a resident. Take me. Let me scrub in.”
“Arizona will kill me.”
Callie eyed him. “You're scared of Dr. Robbins?”
“Um.. no, but I mean.. she does skate around on Heelys. I can't outrun those things.” Mark clarified. “I'm not scared of anyone. I'm Mark Sloan. Well, I am scared of you though. You break bones.”
“Are you getting me in on the surgery or not?”
Mark exhaled. “Fine. It's in an hour. Be there.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Arizona continued to set up everything she needed for the surgery on Ashley. She was still clearly frustrated with the issue with Callie. Doctors just couldn't do that. They couldn't make promises. Especially ones they couldn't keep.
“Ashley..,” Arizona knelled to eye level with Ashley as the interns wheeled the gurney into the operating room.
“I don't want you. I want Callie.” Ashley managed to force the words out of her mouth. It was obvious she was becoming weaker and weaker each minute. Arizona performed multiple tests on the tiny child and realized she had major internal damage. Surgery was the only way to even attempt to save the girl's life.
“Dr. Torres isn't going to be here......”
“Don't lie to the patient, Dr. Robbins.” Callie flared. “I'm going to be in here the entire time. Her bones need to be fixed. Dr. Sloan and I will be operating on that while you do whatever it is you plan on doing.”
“Dr. Torres, you're not..”
“No, see that's where you're wrong. I am supposed to be in here. Dr. Sloan needs assistance. He chose me. If you're not okay with that, I suggest you learn to deal.” Callie tore her eyes from Arizona and smiled down at Ashley. It took all the strength Ashley had to force a grin back to the doctor.
“I knew you'd come.”
Callie laced her fingers with the child. “Of course I was going to be here. I promised you didn't I? I don't break promises.”
“Thank you. I feel safe now.” Ashley winced in pain as she attempted to reach for her stomach. “Fix this pain right here.”
“We are. You're going to go to sleep for a little while. When you wake up, you'll be all better.” Callie gently brushed the hair out of Ashley's face.
“Will you be there when I wake up?”
“Do you want me to be there?” Ashley nodded. “Then I will be.” Callie turned her attention to the child's vital signs. “Okay.. we are going to put you to sleep now. Dream about candy and puppies okay? I'm going to ask you about it when you wake up.” Before Ashley could even reply, her eyes were closed.
“Dr. Torres, you are not doing this surgery. Get out of my OR.” Arizona spoke sharply.
“She is staying. Neither one of us can fix these bones like Dr. Torres can. You want this girl to walk properly again? Then let Dr. Torres stay.” Mark placed his surgical mask on. “Okay, now that we this cleared up, let's save this girl's life.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thankfully, the surgery was a success. Everything went smoothly. Dr. Robbins quickly noticed that Ashley had internal bleeding due to one of the broken ribs puncturing an organ. With Dr. Torres' help, the problem was rapidly solved. But that didn't excuse Callie for her actions. At least, not in Dr. Robbins' mind.
“Who in the hell do you think you are?” Arizona threw her surgical gown into the waste basket. “You don't do shit like that in my OR. Do you understand me?”
“The girl's life was saved. Can't you just focus on that and maybe tell me thanks? What would you have done if I wasn't in there? Could you have honestly managed to correct all those breaks by yourself?” Callie waited for Arizona to speak. “Yeah... I didn't think so. So before you decide to bitch someone out, make sure you have reason to actually do so.”
“I do have a reason, Callie! Damn it.. You don't get it. You don't know my reasons.” Arizona was on the verge of breaking down.
“Then explain it to me, Arizona! I can't read your mind. I have no idea what your actions mean.” Callie groaned in frustration.
“You don't deserve to know my reasons.”
Callie leaned against the wall and closed her eyes as the blond doctor walked out of the scrub room. Arizona Robbins was one person Callie clearly didn't get. They saved the child's life. Together. They stopped the bleeding. Why couldn't she just be happy about that? Was she still hung up on the promise situation? Callie needed these answers. She couldn't just let Arizona walk away without explaining to her what was going on. She at least owed Callie that much.